Best-selling author Greg Anderson once wrote “Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.” It seems like yesterday that my journey began as your Louisiana Section President when I accepted the presidential gavel from my good friend and our immediate Past President, Christopher Knotts last September in Lafayette. On September 23rd, another friend of mine, Ronald Schumann from New Orleans will be installed as the 2011-2012 Section President. It has been both an honor and privilege to work with such an outstanding group of officers, board members, and volunteers this past year.

This administrative year has been one of the most successful in our Section’s rich history, which dates back to 1914. In December 2010, the Louisiana Civil Engineer Journal was recognized as the winner of the Outstanding Newsletter Award for Large Sections and Branches.

No other Section in the nation has been decorated as often with this award and much of the credit goes to our past editor, Jim Porter and our current editor, Nedra Davis. In February, the Section was notified that it received the Membership Renewal Award for large Sections. In March, the Louisiana Tech Student Chapter captured top honors in the concrete canoe and steel bridge building competitions at the Deep South Conference. Recently, the University of New Orleans Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering received the national Walter LeFevre Award which recognizes actions in promoting licensure, ethics and professionalism. National honors weren’t exclusive to the Section only, as individual members were recognized as well. At the Spring Conference in April, Dr. Kam Movassaghi received the Francis C. Turner Award for his contributions to the advancement and practice of transportation engineering. Earlier this summer, Joey Coco received the Edmund Friedman Young Engineer Award for Professional Achievement, in large part for his valuable contributions as Deputy Director of the Louisiana Section Report Card effort.

In April, the Acadiana Branch hosted a successful Spring Conference and the New Orleans Branch will co-sponsor the Louisiana Civil Engineering Conference and Show at the Ponchartrain Center in Kenner on September 21-22. Registration information for the conference can be found at http://louisianacivilengineeringconference. org/. Our Transportation and Development Institute (T&DI) has remained active all year hosting several well-attended seminars. More information on T&DI can be found on page 22.

The major “focus of our journey” this year has been the development of the Louisiana Section Report Card. Our journey began in July 2010 with a handful of participants at an initial planning session that has morphed into a 60 person volunteer effort. This endeavor focused on data collection, analyses, and grading of nine infrastructure categories that affect every Louisiana resident. The goal of this comprehensive project is to bring general public awareness to the critical nature of our infrastructure needs and to assist our policymakers in making informed decisions regarding funding priorities. The final product should be unveiled sometime in late September or early October. A more detailed report on the status of the Report Card can be found on page 6.

Nationally, ASCE has urged President Obama and congressional leaders to consider transportation infrastructure investment in debt limit talks. As negotiations continue in Washington on raising the debt ceiling, reducing the deficit, and possibly raising taxes, ASCE National continues to stress the importance of addressing the nation’s infrastructure crisis. The National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility recognized the impact of transportation investments on the economy by voting in favor of a proposal to increase trust fund revenues, so that surface transportation was no longer a burden on the Treasury’s General Fund.

For many years, ASCE National has promoted the “Raise the Bar” initiative which will require those entering the field of civil engineering to possess the skills, education and experience to attain the “body of knowledge” (BOK) that has been identified by members of our profession. Fulfillment of this BOK will typically include a combination of 1) a baccalaureate degree in civil engineering; 2) a master’s degree, or approximately 30 graduate or upper-level undergraduate technical and/or professional practice credits or the equivalent agency, organization, or professional society courses, and; 3) appropriate experience based on broad technical and professional practice guidelines. For more information on this initiative, please refer to www.asce. org/raisethebar. The Louisiana Section has supported the “Raise the Bar” initiative for several years.

For more information regarding public policy issues important to the civil engineering profession, the ASCE Key Contact Program is an excellent program to be involved in. As a member, you will receive weekly emails on news and developments on issues in Washington and state capitals and also key alerts regarding upcoming legislation affecting issues that are deemed important by ASCE National. Search “Key Contact” on the asce.org website to sign up.

As my term as President of the Louisiana Section comes to an end, I reflect on the 30+ years of my civil engineering career. I have been truly fortunate to work in both the private and public sectors, in municipal and coastal work, alongside some of the most talented and dedicated engineers in this state. Working as a civil engineer, being a member of ASCE, and serving on the Louisiana Section Board has in the past and continues to provide great satisfaction in my life. Community service and professional mentoring are important for the longevity of our honorable profession. I encourage you to participate in the activities of your Branch and attend monthly meetings. These monthly meetings offer opportunities for networking and engaging engineering professionals in your area. Thank you for allowing me to serve you, the ASCE membership of Lousiana.